Thermal energy storage is critical to the future of solar thermal power. Such storage reduces the cost of the energy and enables the energy to be available both during and after daylight hours. The selection of appropriate thermal energy storage media is important to developing an effective thermal energy storage scheme. Phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly attractive for such applications because they can store much more heat than sensible heat storage materials.
It would be desirable to use PCMs both in future installations as well as existing installations that are not specifically configured for use of such materials. In view of this, it would further be desirable to develop a way to encapsulate PCMs so that they can be used in both future and existing installations.